"Your uncle and I are old friends," Lady Lilian continued. "Sometime when--when I am stronger, I am coming to see him--when the weather gets warmer--" Stella glanced at the frail form clad in sables, with a moistened eye--"I am going to spend a long afternoon among the pictures. He is always so kind and patient, and explains them all to me. But, as I am not able to come to you, you will come and see me, will you not?" There was a moment's silence. Lord Leycester stood looking over the river as if waiting for Stella's reply. Stella looked up. "I shall be very glad," she said, and Lord Leycester drew a breath, almost of relief. "You will, will you not?" said Lady Lilian, with a sweet smile. "Yes, I will come," said Stella, almost solemnly. "You will find me poor company," said the daughter of the great earl, with meek humility. "I see so little of the world that I grow dull and ignorant; but I shall be so glad to see you," and she held out her hand. Stella took it in her warm, soft fingers. "I will come," she said. Lady Lilian looked at the coachman, who, though his eyes were fixed in quite another direction, seemed to see the glance, for he touched the horses with the whip. "Good-bye," she said, "good-bye." Then, as the phæton moved on, she called out, in her low, musical voice, that was a low echo of her brother's: "Oh, Leycester, Lenore has come!" Leycester raised his hat. "Very well," he said. "Good-bye." Stella stood a moment looking after her. Strangely enough the last words rang in her ears with a senseless kind of insistence and emphasis. "Lenore has come!" She found herself repeating them mentally. Recalling herself she turned swiftly to Lord Leycester. "How beautiful she is!" she said, almost in a whisper. He looked at her with gratitude in his eloquent eyes. "Yes." "So beautiful and so kind!" Stella murmured, and the tears sprang to her eyes. "I can see her face now. I can hear her voice. I do not wonder that you love her as you do." "How do you know that I love her?" he said. "Brothers, generally----" Stella stopped him with a gesture. "No man with a heart warmer than a stone could help loving her." "And so you agree that my heart is warmer than a stone. Thank you for that, at least," he said, with a smile that was not at all unselfish. Stella looked at him. "Let us go now," she said. "See, uncle is getting his things together." "Not without the primroses," he said; "Lilian will break her heart if you go without any. Let me get some," and he went up the slope. Stella stood in thought. The sudden meeting with the fairy-like creatures, had filled her with strange thoughts. She understood now that rank and money are not all that is wanted for earthly happiness. So lost in thought was she that she did not hear the sound of a horse coming along the mossy road, though the animal was coming at a great pace. Lord Leycester's ears were freer or quicker however, for he caught the sound and turned round.